An English and Irish surname, Burks comes from the Old German term ‘burg’ and the Old English term ‘burh’ which both refer to a fort and protective shelter. The spelling variations for Burks include Bourk, Bourke, Burkes, Burk, de Burgh and Burke. In England most Burks families have lived in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire and the city of London. There are some scattered in other areas in England and Wales. In Ireland the Burks surname originated in County Galway. In Scotland the concentration of Burks families are in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, West Lothian, Perthshire and Inverness-shire counties. Within the United States the original Burks families settled in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas and Indiana. Famous: Robert Burks (Oscar winning movie cinematographer), Arthur J. Burks (writer of horror, adventure and fantasy stories), Ellis Burks (professional baseball player), Antonio Burks (professional basketball player), Arthur Walter Burks (assisted in developing the electronic digital computer) and Mary fair Burks (civil rights activist).